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CNN mobilizes students for global day of action against human trafficking

#MyFreedomDay campaign rallies students to fight
modern-day slavery on March 14

Atlanta – January 30 – CNN is teaming up with young people around the globe for a unique, student-led day of action against modern-day slavery with the launch of #MyFreedomDay, it was announced today by Tony Maddox, EVP and Managing Director of CNN International.

As part of the #MyFreedomDay call to action, students will organize anti-trafficking events on March 14 to generate awareness of the multi-billion dollar industry of human trafficking. CNN and the CNN Freedom Project, the network’s award-winning initiative focused on covering stories of modern-day slavery, will amplify the voices of these young people seeking real social change around the world.

Maddox said: “Children and young people are very often the victims of modern-day slavery, but they are also some of the most energized and engaged activists against it. #MyFreedomDay is designed to provide a focal point for their actions, bring attention to their efforts and link them with others fighting this criminal enterprise in every corner of the globe.”

On March 14 CNN’s television networks will show the world what students, schools and communities are doing to fight slavery with live coverage of their anti-trafficking rallies. CNN correspondents around the world will also report on these various student-hosted events.

Driving #MyFreedomDay is a simple question: What does freedom mean to you? CNN is asking young people to share their responses via text, photo or video across social media using the #MyFreedomDay hashtag.

That content will be showcased in a dynamic, interactive video wall on CNN.com/myfreedom and across CNN’s television and social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. CNN will complement those user-generated submissions by publishing a series of stories that highlight real-life examples of how children are approached by human traffickers in addition to recent studies and statistics from support organizations.

About The CNN Freedom ProjectThe CNN Freedom Project produces original reports, articles and documentaries on human trafficking in all of its forms – from debt bondage in India to sex trafficking rings in Southern California and African slaves in the Sinai desert. Since its launch in 2011, the multi-award winning CNN Freedom Project is among the most successful and highly visible programming initiatives on CNN International. It has generated more than 500 investigative stories of modern-day slavery from across five continents. Various NGOs report that these CNN Freedom Project stories have contributed to changing laws and corporate policies, led to more than 1,000 survivors receiving assistance and sparked more than $24 million in donations to anti-trafficking organizations. The Essam & Dalal Obaid Foundation (EDOF), which shares the same values of the Freedom Project and has a commitment to pursue peace and remedy injustices in areas such as human trafficking, has supported the CNN Freedom Project since March 2015. They have collaborated with CNN on a number of initiatives including a high-profile special event at Harvard’s Belfer Center, and a partnership with Italy’s Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) to educate young people across the country about human trafficking and modern-day slavery.www.cnn.com/freedom